Marlon Ramsey

Marlon Ramsey must love pressure. Any young man who runs 45.36 for the 400
while in high school is going to get his share. And the pressure has only
intensified now that he's training at Baylor University with coach Clyde
Hart. Then there's that "next Michael Johnson" label that some fans want
to slap on whoever is Baylor's hottest one-lapper.

When Ramsey first stepped onto the Waco campus, he was awestruck at the
prospect of being around Johnson. "This was like a dream come true," Ramsey
says. "Now it's an everyday thing. He's one of the guys. He doesn't want
you to look at him any differently or treat him any differently than you
would any other person. He's been a very good motivator for me. He stays
behind me and he pushes me to do well."

There are differences, says coach Hart. "Marlon has some real possibilities
as a sprinter. He doesn't have 19-point 200 speed like Michael Johnson does,
but I think he can run in the low 20s with the right training. Marlon's a
different type of runner than Michael. He has half-miler strength, which
Michael doesn't have."

On one point, Ramsey bears a strong similarity to the volunteer coach
who is the world's top long sprinter: "He's a competitor," says Hart. "I
used to think he was hot-dogging it because he got so mad when he lost. But
now I know he really does get mad when he loses. And that's a good quality
for an athlete."

Ramsey says he learned some valuable lessons in 1995. "I matured a lot,"
he concedes. "I learned patience, mostly. I learned you have to work through
injuries. You have to keep your own head on straight, continue to work hard
and maybe your time will come."

Last spring, when teammate Deon Minor got injured before the Southwest
Conference meet, Ramsey stepped into the void. "He won the conference
championship [in 45.99]," says Hart." I think he saw that he was needed."

Ramsey followed with an NCAA runner-up finish. The top U.S. finisher
there, he covered the distance in 44.74, a Baylor freshman record. Then came
his 5th at the USA Championships, followed by a win at the Olympic Festival.

In Gothenburg, Ramsey got his first chance to represent the United States
internationally. He ran leadoff on the gold medal-winning 4 x 400 squad,
which was anchored by Johnson. "That was my biggest moment," says Ramsey.

Hart forecasts a better year for Ramsey in 1996. "Last year there was
always something wrong: minor injuries and distractions," Hart says. "He
never got in the training like we wanted him to. This year, he's had an extremely
good fall. I think he learned a lot last year from being around world-class
talent."

Just a sophomore at Baylor, his major still undecided, Ramsey has a decidedly
bright future ahead of him. He refuses to predict what he's capable of in
the Olympic year: "I want to get this collegiate season out of the way, then
I'll worry about post-season activities."